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The Pura Belpré Award for Illustration “is presented annually to the Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experiences in an outstanding work of literature” by the American Library Association. These are the 2012-2022 winners:
Pura Belpré Award for Illustration
2022
Vamos! Let’s Cross the Bridge
By Raul the III
People are always crossing the bridge for work, to visit family, or for play. Some going this way; others going that way. Back and forth they go. With friends on foot and in bicycles, in cars and trucks, the bridge is an incredibly busy place with many different types of vehicles.
Little Lobo and his dog Bernabé have a new truck and they are using it to carry party supplies over the bridge with their pals El Toro and La Oink Oink. The line is long and everyone on the bridge is stuck. How will they pass the time? Eventually everyone comes together for an epic party on the bridge between two different countries. Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go gets Mexican American makeover in this joyful story about coming together.
2021
Vamos! Let’s Go Eat
By Raul the Third
Little Lobo returns to share his love of food and wrestling in this delicious follow-up to Vamos! Let’sGo to the Market from Pura Belpré Medal-winning illustrator Raúl the Third.
In this new Vamos! title, Let’s Go Eat, Little Lobo is excited to take in a show with wrestling star El Toro in his bustling border town. After getting lunch orders from The Bull and his friends to help prepare for the event, Little Lobo takes readers on a tour of food trucks that sell his favorite foods, like quesadillas with red peppers and Mexican-Korean tacos. Peppered with easy-to-remember Latin-American Spanish vocabulary, this glorious celebration of food is sure to leave every reader hungry for lunch!
2020
Dancing Hands:
How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for Abraham Lincoln
By Margarita Engle, Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
As a little girl, Teresa Carreño loved to let her hands dance across the beautiful keys of the piano. If she felt sad, music cheered her up, and when she was happy, the piano helped her share that joy. Soon she was writing her own songs and performing in grand cathedrals. Then a revolution in Venezuela forced her family to flee to the United States. Teresa felt lonely in this unfamiliar place, where few of the people she met spoke Spanish. Worst of all, there was fighting in her new home, too—the Civil War.
Still, Teresa kept playing, and soon she grew famous as the talented Piano Girl who could play anything from a folk song to a sonata. So famous, in fact, that President Abraham Lincoln wanted her to play at the White House! Yet with the country torn apart by war, could Teresa’s music bring comfort to those who needed it most?
2019
Dreamers
Written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the U.S. with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn’t come empty-handed. Yuyi brought her strength, her work, her passion, her hopes and dreams and her stories. Dreamers is about making a home in a new place. Yuyi and her son Kelly’s passage was not easy, and Yuyi spoke no English at the time. But together, they found an unexpected, unbelievable place: the public library. There, book by book, they untangled the language of this new land and learned to make it their home. 4-8 years
2018
La Princesa and the Pea
Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Written by Susan Middleton Elya
El principe knows this girl is the one for him, but as usual, his mother doesn’t agree. The queen has a secret test in mind to see if this girl is really a princess, but the prince might just have a sneaky plan, too… 4-8 years
2017
Lowriders to the Center of the Earth
Illustrated by Raul Gonzalez
Written by Cathy Camper
Elirio Malaria and El Chavo Octopus are living their dream at last. They’re the proud owners of their very own garage. But when their beloved cat Genie goes missing, they need to do everything they can to find him. Little do they know the trail will lead them to the realm of Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec god of the Underworld, who is keeping Genie prisoner. 3-7 years
2016
Drum Dream Girl
Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Written by Margarita Engle
Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule — until the drum dream girl did. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongos. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream. 4-7 years
2015
Viva Frida
Written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Frida Kahlo, one of the world’s most famous and unusual artists revered around the world. Her life was filled with laughter, love, and tragedy, all of which influenced what she painted on her canvases. 4-8 years
2014
Niño Wrestles the World
Written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Fwap! Slish! Bloop! Krunch! He takes down his competition in a single move! No opponent is too big a challenge for the cunning skills of Niño — popsicle eater, toy lover, somersault expert, and world champion lucha libre competitor! Niño Wrestles the World is in English with Spanish vocabulary and is the colorful story about a boy wrestling with imaginary monsters and adversaries like his younger sisters. 4-8 years
2013
Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert
Illustrated by David Diaz
Written by Gary D. Schmidt
As the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave, Martin de Porres was born into extreme poverty. Even so, his mother begged the church fathers to allow him into the priesthood. Instead, Martin was accepted as a servant boy. But soon, the young man was performing miracles. Rumors began to fly around the city of a strange mulatto boy with healing hands, who gave first to the people of the barrios. Martin continued to serve the church, until he was finally received by the Dominican Order, no longer called the worthless son of a slave, but rather a saint and the rose in the desert. 6-9 years
2012
Diego Rivera: His World and Ours
Written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
This book introduces one of the most popular artists of the twentieth century, Diego Rivera, to young readers. It tells the story of Diego as a young, mischievous boy who demonstrated a clear passion for art and then went on to become one of the most famous painters in the world. 6-9 years
If you like this post, please consider sharing it and/or leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
Me Frida
by Amy Novesky, Illustrated by David Diaz
Like a tiny bird in a big city, Frida Kahlo feels lost and lonely when she arrives in San Francisco with her husband, the famous artist Diego Rivera. It is the first time she has left her home in Mexico. And Frida wants to be a painter too. But as Frida begins to explore San Francisco on her own, she discovers more than the beauty. She discovers the diversity, and exuberance of America. She finds the inspiration she needs to become one of the most celebrated artists of all time. 4-8 years
Frida Kahlo
Viva Frida
by Yuyi Morales
Frida Kahlo, one of the world’s most famous and unusual artists is revered around the world. Her life was filled with laughter, love, and tragedy, all of which influenced what she painted on her canvases. 4-8 years
Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos
By Monica Brown, Illustrated by John Parra
The fascinating Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, is remembered for her self-portraits and her dramatic works featuring bold and vibrant colors. Monica Brown tells the story of Frida and her beloved pets — two monkeys, a parrot, three dogs, two turkeys, an eagle, a black cat, and a fawn. These animals helped to inspire Frida’s art and her life. 4-8 years
Frida
by Jonah Winter, Illustrated by Ana Juan
When her mother was worn out from caring for her five sisters, her father gave her lessons in brushwork and color. When polio kept her bedridden for nine months, drawing saved her from boredom. And when a bus accident left her in unimaginable agony, her paintings expressed her pain and depression — and eventually, her joys and her loves. Over and over again, Frida Kahlo turned the challenges of her life into art. 4-8 years
My Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo
By Silivia Lopez, Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri
This Little Golden Book captures the essence of Frida Kahlo for the youngest readers. From overcoming illness, to being one of only a handful of girls at her school in Mexico, to having her paintings hanging in museums, this is an inspiring read for future trailblazers and their parents! Features informative text and colorful illustrations inspired by Frida’s own artwork. 2-5 years
Frida, A Board Book
By Summer Morrison
Join a youthful Frida as she spends the day with her animal friends, practicing their names in English and Spanish. At her bedtime, all of the friends (amigos) gather together to say goodnight (Buenas Noches). This book is inspired by the artwork and life of Frida Kahlo.
Frida Kahlo
By Isabel Munoz, Illustrated by Jane Kent
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo created vibrantly hued paintings and led an equally colorful life. Known for her self-portraits, she became a feminist icon whose work now sells for millions of dollars. This biography looks at Frida’s childhood, including her bout with polio, as well as her devotion to Mexican culture and political causes. It tells about the bus accident that left her in chronic pain but also sparked her career and her marriage to Diego Rivera. A timeline and simple quiz help kids test their understanding and knowledge. 6 and up
The Story of Frida Kahlo: A Biography Book for New Readers
By Susan B. Katz
Frida Kahlo is one of the most celebrated artists in the world, but before she made history with her beautiful paintings and brave spirit, she went through a life-changing accident that would have made many people want to give up. This book shows you how she fought to overcome setbacks and follow her passion to create amazing artwork and make the world a more colorful place.
You can explore how she went from a young girl from a small Mexican town to one of the most well-known painters in history. How will her creativity and can-do attitude inspire you? 8 years+
Frida Kahlo: The Artist in the Blue House
By Magdalena Holzhey
This book looks into the world of the artist Frida Kahlo and introduces children to the themes that infused her vibrant paintings and shows how her life influenced her art. Through illustrations of her work and photographs of Kahlo and her family, children are encouraged to learn about her life, artworks, and important relationships. 8-12 years
Frida Kahlo: The Artist Who Painted Herself
by Margaret Frith, Illustrated by Tomie dePaola
This book explores the creative and imaginative world of Mexico’s most celebrated female artist. 5-9 years
Who Was Frida Kahlo
by Susan Fabiny, illustrated by Jerry Hoare
You can always recognize a painting by Kahlo. She is in nearly all of them with her black braided hair and colorful Mexican outfits. Frida transformed herself into a living work of art. She is famous for her self-portraits and her haunting imagery as well as her marriage to painter Diego Rivera. Her beloved homeland Mexico inspired Frida with its ancient culture and history. 8-12 years
A book about Frida Kahlo’s artist husband Diego Rivera:
Diego Rivera: His World And Ours
by Duncan Tonatiuh
This book introduces one of the most popular artists of the twentieth century, Diego Rivera, to young readers. It tells the story of Diego as a young, mischievous boy who demonstrated a clear passion for art and then went on to become one of the most famous painters in the world. 6-9 years
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author